_____
(29)_*_*_( ) (One) (More) (Time)
-:-:-
The young Ouendan's body tumbled and rolled like a ragdoll, Ash standing and looking on in horror. The crowd stood motionless, the demons stood in awe.
A smoking finger fell, and Master's face could be seen. "...fall." He loomed over the plateau, illuminating it in hellish light. He crossed his arms and hovered, wings open and legs dangling, fire spewing from his body like a stench. "And so is snuffed the last light of hope. I was starting to get annoyed--your futile efforts had lost its entertainment value." He hovered over slowly to Lock.
The people above and below began to collapse to each other. Tears began to stream as the realization that they were all doomed washed over them all. "The Ouendan are gone..." whined Charizard as he stood in a group with some of the other pokémon, some of whom were tearing up.
"Agents..." breathed Travis. He was currently on the ground, fur rough in patches and slightly burned after Lock had subdued him to get to Ash. Around him stood some of the humans.
Dragonair collapsed, barely any body holding her head from the ground. "Kioshi..." she whispered slowly, tears filling her eyes.
"Worthless," Master spat as the camera focused on the spiritually dead bodies of the Agents and Ouendan (not the ameture Agents, though), first on the plateau and then through the image from EBA HQ.
It focused back on Master, who floated over Kioshi's body, turning to face the crowd. "That's what all of this...determination," he bit out, as if the word were made of bitter pepper, "is." He scanned the crowd. "This world is in desperate need of reform, whether it likes it or not," he said. "This story is feeble and shallow, a drawn-out torture. The amount of innocence is sickening!" He opened his upper set of arms and spread them out, palms up. "Where's the hate, people? The conflict? Nowhere!" He crossed his arms again. "A world without racism and environmental issues...This world is so optimistic, it's detestable! And as much as we need hatred, we feed the best off of darkness." He chuckled. "And darkness is what we shall bring."
'Uuuhnnn...'
I groaned and shakily got up, looking around. Black. 'Who was that talking...? Where am I...?' I muttered.
'Inside your head,' answered a familiar voice.
I gasped and looked up. Before me stood me, glowing in fire and looking like a bat outta hell. I shot to my feet and stepped back. 'Wh-wh-WHAT?! Me...?!' I exclaimed.
The other me smirked and nodded, floating over. As he did, he grew and changed. 'Yes...your hatred. The hatred you have lying deep within you,' he answered. 'The hatred you all have inside of you.' He stopped, towering at sixteen feet above me and changed to be a slightly-different-looking Heavy Hatemonger; instead of one set of arms, he had two, and he wore my shades. He chuckled deeply. 'Come on, admit it, I look sexy,' he jibed.
I grimaced. 'No,' I fought back. I backed up and hit a wall. I turned and found a window. It was currently black, and I heard groaning and grunting and wind, as well as a voice speaking. 'What...?' I whipped around again. 'What do you want?!' I demanded.
'We want to make people suffer,' my hate replied, copying Master's words perfectly as he spoke. 'By spreading darkness across this world and the other world, we will breed suffering. Suffering breeds hate and unneeded pain and selfishness. Ah, selfishness--that wonderful word. Let me just say that, right now, every person in the world thinks only of themselves.'
'You're WRONG!!' I fought back, clenching my fist.
'Oh, AM I?' he asked, raising an eyebrow. 'Think. Why do you help? Because you don't want to feel bad and because you're taught you should--you don't want to go against others' opinions. Why do you make friends? You don't want to feel lonely. Why do you create? To get attention. Why do you defend the arts? Because they are entertainment and they make you happy, and no addict enjoies their addiction being taken! FACE IT!!' He got in my face, making me sweat a bit. 'All that you do you do for yourself! Why do you love? BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO MATE!!'
While Master paused to let this sink in outside, my hate prodded me with a finger in the chest, making me grunt. 'And YOU, Agent Lock, are especially guilty,' he added. 'You've been getting overconfident.'
"And a sign of selfishness--another form, sugared to become less threatening by humanity--is confidence," continued my hate and, outside, Master. He looked down at Kioshi. "It is an impossible-to-manage quality. Too little, and you will fail, never able to fully carry out your task. Just enough, and you're apt to change at the drop of a hat. And too much..." He chuckled as he looked at my body. "Too much, and you open yourself to demons," he finished. He narrowed his eyes and barked, "Lock! Quit fooling around! You've got the audience you've wanted! The audience you've craved! The audience you've been having since you joined the Agents!" He whipped his head up and laughed, "AN AUDIENCE WHO LISTENS TO YOU, OF ALL PEOPLE!!"
I froze as my body shook my head and looked up, giving me a glimpse through tinted windows at the people looking at me. I gaped and removed my own shades slowly. 'He's...he's right,' I realized. 'I've...' I looked down in shame. 'I've been loving the fact I've been able to get an audience to actually respect me...ME, of all people...a nerd. A Band geek. A target.' I put my hands around my head. 'I've let being an Agent get to my head!!' I whailed.
'And that sickens me,' continued Master/my hate, settling down. 'Only foolish, flat people such as you all could ever value this boy. What endears me is the fact that it really is actually quite shallow--you only appreciate the Agents and the Ouendan because what they do for you. You treat them just as they should be treated--TOOLS, there to better your own situation and stamp on others!' They laughed again. 'The only disadvantage to letting these fools run rampant is that they encourage positivity, that fake concept that shields us from our source: Hatred. Somehow, if one is 'good,'' they finger-quoted with their second set of arms, 'they are immune to us, even if our world's entrance was breached and we were better able to come to this mortal world.' They set their arms across once more. 'But we have played on the fact that these organizations' leaders are stupid, full of the folly of 'positivity' and the fake definition of 'love'. By using our power and finally luring young, inept Agents and Ouendan into this world, we have upset the reality of this world and theirs, further encouraging our invasion.'
"With that, we have waited for the right time to take out all of the Agents and Ouendan while they are in an easy place where none can get them--in front of television screens!" Master/my hate guffawed. "How stupid! But that stupidity is what makes it so great. Now, we have this sickening world in our hands..." All arms spread out. "No more will there be happiness or this taunt to realism. No world is happy. Nobody likes everyone. Nobody is good. And for the victory we will accomplish, you have only to thank the viewers of this fabricated world--this show!" Master looked to the clouds. "Thank you, America, in the most part! Your hatred of this world, placed so rightly, is the greatest kind--based on foolishness. Oh, how your brains can be a blessing and a hindrance! Listen to your hate--but wait, that's the wrong kind! WHA-HA-HA! Confused yet? Heh." He looked down again, arms folding again. "Now, watch and remember the day this world finally perishes and a new world--our world--rises up in its place, a world fulfilling your desires to see a reflection of life the way it is!" He opened one arm at a time. "Darkness! Selfishness! Hatred! Pain!" All arms came in and then out (which added the third set Master owned) when he roared, "DISPAIR!! THE KEY TO OUR ESCAPE AND OUR VICTORY OVER THAT SICKENING FOOLISHNESS CALLED HAPPINESS!!"
At this, Ash opened his eyes, tears flying out, look of determination on his face. Dragonair opened her eyes, tears flying out, look of defiance on her face. Both, having gone to the ground, came up slowly. Ash took his hands and opened them slowly while Dragonair flashed, her friends behind her flashing, as well. Then, both stood full and erect. Together, they began.
Clap. "E. B. A." Clap.
"O...en...DAAAN!!"
Slowly, very slowly. Ash stood and clapped, chanting.
Slowly, very slowly. Dragonair finished evolving into Dragonite while reeling back and punching, speaking in Human. She was joined by Teddiursa, now Ursaring, and then Croconaw, now Feraligatr. Both of them seemed to be a lot skinner than they ought to, though nobody noticed at the time.
I shot my eyes open. 'What...?'
"Wha-ha-hat?" laughed Master in disbelief. "You HONESTLY think that they can hear you? That you can do a dramatic worldwide chant and revive your 'heroes'?" He laughed. "But why? You know that it's futile! Nobody is good! You only want to use them to preserve your own way of life!" He shook his head as they continued. "Don't believe me? Go on. Try it." He folded his arms and waited.
'You...' I looked at Ash from the window. 'You trust me...even now...?'
Others looked at each other, then nodded. "Let's take him up on that," said someone.
"Together now!" said another.
Clap. "E. B. A." Clap. "E. B. A." Clap.
"Ou...en...DAAN!!" Punch. "Ou...en...DAAN!!" Punch.
'I can't believe it...' I muttered, crying a little and smiling. 'Ash...everyone...you still believe in us...and you trust me even though I betrayed all of you...'
'Futile. I'm waiting for the word to distrove them, which should be any second, now,' my hate said, nodding.
After a few moments, Master glared and said, "Trial up. Lock, show them that their hope is gone," he ordered my body, which had stood at attention after being ordered before.
"YESSIR!" it cried, as if saluting Kahn. It stepped forwards, aiming at Ash with my mic. Ash kept cheering, as did the others. They increased their cheering speed and settled on a good beat.
I looked at this scene, and my life flashed before my eyes. My best friends and fellow Agents, now lying lifeless on the stone...My loving family, now watching at home in horror...My experiences with everyone I've helped, including Ash...now gone...to nothing...And I wondered, breifly, how they all got better even after all this...how they all still fight...
And it hit me.
SMACK.
'Huh?!'
'No.'
(-) What we do is what you just can't do
My body stopped in front of Ash. "Eh?" Master grunted.
The ameture Agents added their cries, now, and the cheering increased until everyone was cheering.
"EBA! OUENDAN! EBA! OUENDAN!"
(-) What we do is what you just can't do
I gripped the arm of my hate, pulling him down to my level after the jump. 'No. You're wrong,' I said.
"You're wrong," I heard myself say in a shaky whisper that faded as my hate tried to break free and came in as I clenched harder.
"What?!" asked Master/my hate.
(-) What we do is what you just can't do
'There's something that you just don't get behind all that logic you spewed,' I said slowly, putting my shades back on.
(-) What we do is what you just can't do
White fire, the kind with the spectrum around the edges, began to flare up around my body inside my mind. I felt strength returning to me. 'You just don't get it.'
(-) What we do is what you just can't do
"What don't I get?!" asked Master.
(-) What we do is what you just can't do
'You're wrong about this world!' I grabbed my hate with both arms.
(-) What we do is what you just can't do
'You're wrong about good and kindness!' I began to spin him around and around my mind.
(-) What we do is what you just can't do
"Wrong about you weak creatures?!" Master scoffed.
'You're wrong about us 'weak creatures', too!' I added, slamming my hate onto the floor one way, then the next.
(-) We are the cartoon heroes, u-woah-oh...
The Ouendan's bodies were being filled with color again.
'You're wrong about nearly everything you said--nearly, I'll give you that, but only barely!!' I spun again.
Meyers's and Hunter's bodies began to glow again, too. A fire imbued with golden energy began to emanate from them.
The eyes were fading.
"No...No!...NO!!" Master was shouting.
(-) We came out of a crazy mind, u-woah-oh...
'And it's because you just don't understand the crucial thing we all have inside!" I finished, finally tossing my hate against a wall. He broke into a thousand lights and disappeared, three or four remaining after changing into a more subdued color and going away.
(-) (One extra measure instrumental effect)
The eyes behind me vanished. The fire around me was put out and replaced with the fire and light within me as I, along with the Ouendan and other Agents jumped up high, bursting with the power coming from our bodies. We soared high with an echoing, mingling, """OSU!!""" """HEY!!"""
"WHAAAT?!" roared Master.
(-) (Instrumental)
We landed together and quickly did victorious mini-speeches as the crowd went wild.
"""The Elite Beat Agents are at your service!!""" we announced with pride and joy as we posed.
"OSU!" Hibiki shouted. They went one way.
"TATAKAE!" Suzu added. They went the other.
"OUENDAN!" Kioshi finished. They went forwards.
The crowd cheered, and a light could be seen coming from behind the clouds. Day was coming upon us, like it was when our team saved the world.
Me and Kioshi looked at each other. Our teams were side by side. The music was pumping. And the crowd was already getting pumped, swaying with a fist while fire and light poured from their bodies. "Let's teach them a lesson, eh?" I asked, smirking.
Kioshi nodded, agreeing, "One they'll never forget."
We jumped up and swayed on the left of the audience while Kioshi and his cohorts skidded into place on the right with an """OSU!!""". The people who were most visible, however, were both of our teams' leaders. We started what may have been the most groundbreaking cheer in EBA/Ouendan history on the song's seventeenth measure and counted down during the eighteenth, extra measure. Our words were in near unison, going evenly together.
"""IKUZE!!"""--"""Are you ready?!"""
"HAI!"--"YEAH!"
"""SAN!"""--"""3!"""---"""NI!"""--"""2!"""--"""ICHI!"""--"""1!"""--"""SURE!!"""--"""GO!!"""
- We are what we're supposed to be
- Illusions of your fantasy
- All dots and lines that speak and say
- What we do is what you wish to do!
- We are the color symphony
- We do the things you want to see
- Frame by frame, to the extreme
The very song that, ironically, I had the least confidence in, that we STILL had trouble with when we last practiced, which was sometime before "Aisle 10":
"Cartoon Heroes (Speedy Mix)" by Aqua (remixed by Barbie Young), a song that both of us--EBA and Ouendan--knew from its presence in Dance Dance Revolution Extreme. While I danced with just about every move I knew to the complicated routine, Kioshi pulled out practically every single Ouendan move in the book in the same routine. Our cheers were together, blending "HEY!" with "OSU!" in an interesting combo. Behind us, barely noticible to the audience, our backups did their best, working side by side.
While we danced and cheered, the crowd fought back, but differently. Instead of actually fighting, the pokémon came and cheered and danced, as well. The ones who were most aligned with the EBA did the dancing--party dance maneuver number 1, for those who know what I'm trying to reference--and the ones with the Ouendan cheered, everyone pumping their arms in time with the beat. Even the people in the real world did so. The same basic things happened: If they were okay, they were half going, half tired, with their selves being protected from ambush by a faint, barely-strong-enough beat-pusling barrier that Travis was making with moonlight. If they were discouraged, they were jumped, running around to avoid attacks. If they were energized, tall, powerful white-and-rainbow fire poured from their bodies. No one could touch them. This all fluxuated a lot, partially due to us. This was the hardest song we all knew. And we had never aced it in our lives. It was one of the songs in the EBA book that few missions had been done without an error with. And there weren't a lot of missions.
Groups of people stood cheering while pokémon helped defend them with strong, light-fire-powered strikes that banished the demons around. "OSU!" "HEY!" "OSU!" "HEY!" went the humans and any cheering pokémon.
"Nobody!" Pikachu and Charizard cried (in their language) while protecting Ash and co., Liza, Charla, and some others with fire and electricity.
"Gets away!" Pidgeot (with Rosa atop) and Sooteye shouted (in their language, as well), using wind and pure force to defend their friends and others.
"With hurting!" Elodie, Zante and Vesp, and Yena yelled, using strength and speed to watch over Abe, the two women-of-the-house and their families, and others (including Travis's family and the ameture Agents while they led their own dance, though simpler than ours due to lack of practice).
"OUR LOVED ONES!!" ROARED Dragonite, Ursaring, and Feraligatr, mostly Dragonite, as they defended Benishirina and Luna, Kojiro, Kelly, and us.
Kioshi punched out with his left arm while I thrust my mic with my right. ""Because we'll defend them with all our heart!"" we finished resolutely, bursting with light-fire along with the others.
Master gawked as all of his fiery troops on the plateau were incinerated by the glowing burst of fire, leaving him alone. "H-HEART?! But--!!" he screamed, holding an arm up to defend himself from the painful power we radiated.
---(O)---
(-) Our friends are so unreasonable
(-) They do the unpredictable
(-) All dots and lines that speak and say
(-) What we do is what you wish to do
(-) It's all an orchestra of strings
(-) Doin' unbelievable things
(-) Frame by frame, to the extreme
(-) One by one, we're makin' it fun
Master gazed into the distance and commanded, "TROOPS! ENOUGH SCREWING AROUND, DESTROY THESE PESTS!! ALL OF THEM!!" On the screens around the main one in EBA HQ, if the camera could see there, scenes of people in other regions and in reality being invaded by more Hatemonger demons came up and in.
"""OSU!!"""
*Sway*
"You do a special dance, correct?" Kioshi asked quickly while we waited for our entrance.
"Yes," I replied as quickly.
"Then let's do it half-and-half," he suggested. "First chorus we all dance half, cheer half; second, vice-versa; third, we do our own thing."
"Agreed!" I nodded, impressed.
- We are the cartoon heroes, u-WOAH-oh!
- We are the ones who're gonna last for-ev-er!
- We came out of a crazy mind, u-WOAH-oh!
- And walked out on a PIECE of paper!
- Here comes Spiderman, arachnophobian!
- Wel-come to the Toon Town par-ty!
- Here comes Superman, from Never-Neverland!
- Wel-come to the Toon Town par-ty!
To my amazement, the Ouendan did our chorus dance (which, thankfully, allowed for us to split in the middle as we did) perfectly. We amazed ourselves by copying their cheering moves down to every angle their arms made, though we couldn't open our right hands for fear of dropping the mics. And we pulled through the actual chorus wonderfully, considering the circumstances.
Looking up, we saw, to our relief, that the people being attacked all over the world in reality were defending themselves with energy. As well, we knew folks in the Pokémon world were winning, too. Japanese men, women and children used Ouendan moves to blast with fire; Pallat Town folks were commanding with fiery forms; French folk saluted their native dramatic art by miming a solid wall of fire in front of them; Slashers were destroying everything in sight with fire-enhanced weapons; and New Yorkers in Times Square were doing what New Yorkers do best, kick ass. As they fought, we cheered on, going in groups.
""The heart and mind..."" me and Kioshi began, fists out forwards.
""...are two different things,"" continued Meyers and Suzu, Meyers slouching and holding his hand to his left side while Suzu held her left arm, hand flat and vertical, out, standing straight.
""While you're right that..."" Hunter and Hibiki carried on, dropping and spreading their legs while one hung his free hand and the other punched the ground.
"""...we essentially think only of ourselves...""" Travis, Frank, and Dorian chimed in, kicking to the right in unison.
"""...our minds are built to work that way!""" went on Dragonite, Ursaring, and Feraligatr, holding their arms up from a thrust.
Some Heavy Hatemongers entered through the many monitors of the EBA's screen, aiming blasts of flame. They were decimated by a burst of fire and energy.
"HEY!"
"OSU!"
Standing and smirking (or grimacing), the EBA and Ouendan proved themselves more tenacious than Master thought. Kahn rose from his seat, adjusting his glasses, as he and Kai finished, ""Our hearts allow us to and make us care for others!!""
The air began to clear, the clouds parting to show a bit of morning sky to shine between the clouds. Master groaned, "NOOO!!" and flinched from a sunbeam striking his shoulder.
"HEY!/OSU!" went everyone else.
---(O)---
(-) (Instrumental)
(-) We learned to run at speed of light
(-) And to fall down from any height
(-) It's true, but just remember that
(-) What we do is what you just can't do!
"NO! There's no such THING as a heart!!" the leadin' demon decreed, coming down and assaulting us directly, now, pissed beyond all get-out. "Life can only follow the base needs and desires of their mind and body!! Enough STUPIDITY, already!!"
"""OSU!!"""
*Sway*
I heard gulps behind me from Meyers and Hunter, and I looked over my shoulder. "We can do it, if we believe in each other," I assured. "And believe in yourself." This, however, I added DIRECTLY to Kioshi, smirking knowingly.
"!" He tried to make no facial expression at this, but I could still feel it. Behind him, the Bluendan exchanged glances with each other, eyes glinting with caring triumph.
- An opera of craziness
- A bunch of dots that's chasing us
- Frame by frame, to the extreme
- One by one, we're makin' it fun (Chik-chik-chik-chik)
- We are the cartoon heroes, u-WOAH-oh!
- We are the ones who're gonna last for-ev-er!
- We came out of a crazy mind, u-WOAH-oh!
- And walked out onto a PIECE of paper!
- Here comes Spiderman, arachnophobian!
- Wel-come to the Toon Town par-ty!
- Here comes Superman, from Never-Neverland!
- Wel-come to the Toon Town par-ty!
This time, while everyone was cheering, they were working to repel Master as he tried to attack. The flames, however, were too much for him, and he had to shy away every time he swooped to strike. Meanwhile, during the chorus this time, we did Ouendan moves first, then continued the dance during the second half, as we'd decided. Again, we each caught on quite well.
Up in our world, people were cheering together in unison, and in very close contact. Brett and his fiancee, who hadn't come into the tvs because they couldn't enter the shop they were in, stood in the center of a close-knit line doing the wave down in California. As we saw this, we heard some of them speak back. "The mind can't function while a heart exists, but hearts don't work without minds, either!"
New Yorkers were dancing up a storm, Broadway style, in Times Square. "We're just so stupid and go with the flow that we never give things a second chance anymore, instead shooting prejudiced hatred at it!"
French were doing the can-can, Japanese were doing the Carameldansen, and English (ditching the fact that their native folk dance was disappearing in their own country) were in sets of six, doing capers with hankies. And everywhere else, if people weren't dancing, they were fist-pumping and cheering.
"Every good story is unique in its own way, with strong messages made to change the world and humanity's way of living to a better one!" instructed some French (translated).
"We older people want them to be 'cool' and dark with themes that we're comfortable being shown that way, even when that would destroy what makes them great!" a few Japanese noticed (translated, again).
"We've got to THINK about the messages already inside of them for ourselves before we color our hearts with opinion, and NOT just submit to peer pressure and jump to conclusions!" many English stated (translated for slang and spelling).
Back in EBA HQ, where one side of the main screen showed monitors of PokéWorld, the other showed them from the real world. "And that 'fictional' world you're in, demon, is so deep and rich, it is officially rotating in its own universe, not entirely bound to the world of its creator," Kahn informed in a serious, but cool, voice while sitting and steepling his fingers.
"If you mess around with what makes it true, then you'll do nothing more than destroy it and you with it!" Kai shouted with his fierce tone, crossing his arms and standing.
All through this, "OSU!" and "HEY!" filled the skies of Earth as it glowed with light-fire its dancing and cheering inhabitants were generating. The beautifully-detailed planet grew an aura of the rainbow-outlined white flame.
---(O)---
(-) (Instrumental, the first eight measures of it)
"No, no! There is only MISERY!!" cried Master, glowing with the white, fire-rimmed flame I had shot what felt ages ago.
"""OSU!!"""
*Sway*
"We're mostly through!" Suzu said.
"Let's keep it going!" Hibiki coaxed.
- (Instrumental (the main one in the song))
- One by one, we're makin' it fun
- U-WOAH-oh...u-WOAH-oh...
- One by one, o-one by one
- U-WOAH-oh...u-WOAH-oh...
- We're makin' it fun!
- (More instrumental)
- U-WOAH-oh...u-WOAH-oh...
This was one of the hardest parts, involving many spinner maneuvers and tricky groups of consecutive hits. (It was nothing compared to the third segment of JJF, though, which we'd always failed at when practicing it in the HoloJam room.) What made it so hard was that there was little lyrical cue to follow--it was almost all made up of breakbeat percussion-following. NOT exactly fun for our tired (but not flagging) arms and legs. The Ouendan appeared to be struggling to keep up with it, but we all held it together and pulled through this fourth section.
Once-broken cities were washed over with a repairing line of light-fire that left them sparkling, humans getting up and cheering from their formerly-depressed states. "This world is beautiful and peaceful," I narrated, letting the camera see only the view instead of "green-screening" as we'd done two segments ago.
Fields and rivers, formerly burned and dried up, flushed with life as the light-firewall screamed over them. Wild land pokémon got up and cheered, too, in their own languages. "Here, nature is safe, coexisting with machinery happily."
The skies around mountains, dreary and smoggy, were swept with a fan of light-fire, filling it once more with clarity and cleanness. Flying pokémon swooped and cheered while two mountian climbers, one black and one white, joined them together. "Racisim is a silly, useless belief that has gone the way of the idea that Earth's flat."
Choppy, polluted waters were washed with a wave of light-fire, restoring their serenity and purity. Water-dwelling pokémon surfaced and cheered, while in a boat stood three people, who fished out a tire with their hands before cheering with them. "Through the buildup of kind actions that people can take every day, the whole of life was able to get to this point!"
After the camera showed all of these things, it came back to the plateau, where I shouted seriously, "The message of this world is not one that's obvious and shown by characters' actions--it's the world itself!! It's a Comedy!"
Me and Kioshi locked arms. ""This is the world the way that it COULD be, should we choose to make that effort!!"" we finished together.
A view from space could see an "OSU!"'ing and "HEY!"'ing land of Pokémon Japan, the country and all the regions--from the anime and from the games--becoming bordered with light-fire.
---(O)---
(-) (One last instrumental)
We didn't even give Master a chance to whine. Without us prompting them, everyone flaming-swayed. Kioshi and the Ouendan nodded to each other, and I looked and nodded at my fellow Agents. """"""Let's end this!"""""" we said in unison.
- You think we're so mysterious
- Don't take us all too serious
- Be original, and remember that
- What we do is what you just can't do
- (What we do is what you just can't do...)
- What we do is what you just can't do
- What we do is what you just can't do
- What we do is what you just can't do
- What we do is what you just can't do
- We are the cartoon heroes, u-WOAH-oh!
- We are the ones who're gonna last for-ev-er!
- We came out of a crazy mind, u-WOAH-oh!
- And walked out onto a PIECE of paper!
- Here comes Spiderman, arachnophobian!
- Wel-come to the Toon Town par-ty!
- Here comes Superman, from Never-Neverland!
- Wel-come to the Toon Town par-ty!
- There's still more to come
- And everyone will be
- Wel-comed at the
- Toon! (Toon!)
- Town! (Town!)
- Parrrtyyyy...
- ENCORE!!
Abruptly, we switched our dancing style to be more simple flowing, often making phrase movements when there were really felt as hit moves, as the music calmed down a bit from the intense, super-upbeat dance music it was until then. Then, after another spinner maneuver, we picked it back up and did as we had discussed: The Agents did their chorus dance, the Ouendan did their moves. When it came to the tricky-rhythmed final, "extra" part, we all did normal moves before, with a creschendoing whoop from us and roar from the Ouendan, we pulled out the final spinner.
Those familiar with the song were surprised when the last measure of the song was more busy, as if it went on, still. At our combined cry to repeat (encore), it did. It looped back to the chorus it was on, with a new sound in the background:
"What we do is what you just can't do! What we do is what you just can't do! What we do is what you just can't do! What we do is what you just can't do!" Some people and pokémon were singing the ostinato while others were cheering, "OSU! HEY! OSU! HEY!" This was happening in both the real world and the Pokémon world.
(-) We are the cartoon heroes, u-WOAH-oh!
(-) We are the ones who're gonna last forever!
Normal (or not) people and (almost) everyone we've ever cheered in this world--Agents or Ouendan--stood and did something on the plateau to express their own cheering while the camera, from above, panned from left to right. Ash did his fist-raised determination pose and shouted with Pikachu; Brock and Dawn raised their fists and cheered; Charizard bugled and flamed; Charlie TRUMPETED; Abe shot his pistol in the air; Elodie raised her paw to the sky with another back as if holding a fairy in a ballet dance; Travis joined from his group and howled while his "backups" posed in arrow positions; Benishirina and Luna raised their arms and cheered while holding each other; Erin, Paul, and Eliza did order arms; Marin lifted her sunhat high in the sky; Team Rocket saluted with their shovels; Cecil and his girlfriend pumped their fists; Kelly flourished her paintbrush; Travis's family howled with their eldest child; Rosa, Hiromi, and Jin thrust out a fist whilst riding Pidgeot, who cawed; Nozomi lifted her daugter up high and Masa his son while the former held her balloon up and the latter twirled a noisemaker; Kagome held up a pokéball while Takishi, Yusuke, and Itachi formed a human tower (oldest on the ground and youngest on top); Dragonair, Ursaring, and Feraligatr did more Ouendan cheering moves ("""OSU!"""); and Sooteye somehow did a comically high-flying stalefish while the other Street Blazers kids did other tricks. All the while, light-fire was blazing from the determined-eyed group, the ground below and glowing white with rainbow borders around the people.
"OSU! HEY! OSU! HEY!"
(-) We came out of a crazy mind, u-WOAH-oh!
Everyone back in EBA HQ was cheering, even Kahn.
"OSU! HEY! OSU! HEY!"
(-) And walked out onto a PIECE of pa-per!
The ground of the Pokémon world glowed with the light-fire, and the sky glowed with the light-fire. All of the demons left in either world stopped and trembled as the two universes rumbled, the flames collecting in a beam from above and below. Televisions and monitors in reality began to glow white.
All this time, Master was cowering from the light. "WHYWHYWHYY!!!???" he roared. "THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A HEART! IT'S ALL A TRICK MADE BY THOSE FEEBLE IMAGINATIONS OF YOURS THAT EXIST PURELY FOR THE INVENTION OF TECHNOLOGY!!"
"Then why are you so scared?!" demanded Travis, fur glowing white and beautiful. He grinned wolfishly, and a faint image of the head of his inner beast, Jet, could be seen floating behind him. "Admit it! Hearts DO exist! And with them come good!"
"And out of good comes the concept that you're afraid of," added Dragonite, flaming with white and red fire. "COURAGE!! Because if dispair is the key to your escape, then courage is the key to your capture!!"
"NOOOOO!!" Master raged as people joined in on the singing. He tried to fly away, going fast and far and high. "YOU'LL NEVER ESCAPE CONFLICT! NO MATTER HOW HARD YOU TRY, DISPAIR WILL FIND A WAY!!"
"BUT WE TRIVE ON CONFLICT, 'CUZ DAT'S WHY WE'S GOT COURAGE!!" Meowth threw it back in his face with his best Brooklyn-accented cat roar.
"Here comes Spiderman!" the real-world crowd sang.
"Arachnophobian!" the real-world cheerers sang.
"Wel-come to the Toon Town par-tay!!" the real-worlders chorused, their twin, twisting beams of white fire light shooting down, charging towards the archepeligo below.
"Here comes Superman!" the Pokémon-world crowd sang.
"From Never-Neverland!" the Pokémon-world cheerers sang.
"Wel-come to the Toon Town par-tay!!" the Pokémon-worlders and their visiters chorused, their twin, twisting beam of light shooting up, screaming for the patchwork of real-world clouds above.
Both parties sang in unison as the beams collided and created an enormous blast that cleared away all the Hatemongers.
"There's still more to come! And everyone will be--"
They came, the camera flashing between first the real, then Poké, beams, then crowds, as the next syllables came.
"Wel-comed at the--"
"TOON!" BOOM! They hit!
"(TOON!)" FWOOM! A bubble shockwave of multicolored light swelled from the impact, obliterating every normal and heavy Hatemonger in both worlds.
"TOWN! (TOWN!)" The two beams deflected off of each other and shot in the same direction, an enormous blast of blinding white, the camera following the tip.
"PAAAAARRRRRRTAAY!!" The beam engulfed a roaring Master.
And it ended at last.
The skies cleared to normal, showing a few blank, fluffy cumulus clouds in front of morning cerulean. A blissfully cool, gentle breeze blew across the land. One could still hear the real world's cheering combining with the Pokémon world's. Everyone below on the ground jumped and clapped and whooped and cheered yet still! OSU! HEY!
"EBA! OUENDAN! EBA! OUENDAN!" different groups of former targets and people continued to chant, jumping and cheering.
We stood, arms crossed and at our hips, dutifully serious and sincerely happy respectively, as everyone said our names.
"OU--E! EN--B! DAAAAAN--AAAA!"
The drums played as the Ouendan were treated with their own theme song.
- Ouen, ouen, ouEEEENNN...
"We promise to preserve this world we've worked hard to make as it is, Ouendan, Agents!" assured Kojiro, Benishirina and Luna, Travis's family, and Marin, smiling.
"Thank you so much for helping us in our troubles and come together, teams!" gave Charizard (in his language), Ash and co., and Sooteye (in his own language) and his friends.
- OSU! TATAKAE! OUENDAN! (Bum!)
Then, to our surprise, our own theme song, little-known, began to go up for us, right after the first. Infused with funky spy theme influence, we loved to hear it after such an effort. It was similar to the song we use as a warm-up at HQ.
- Go, go, g-go! Fight, fight, fi-fight!
- You're at the end of your rope and things just ain't right
- Go, go, g-go! We'll give you your chance--
- Elite Beat Agents, saving the world through song and dance!
- Agents are...GO!!
While we heard the women singing this song, we heard everyone else talking to us, too. "We'll never forget you or what you've reminded us of," called Abe and Elodie, Rosa and her friends and pokémon, Erin and the other Marching Rhydons leaders, and Kagome with Tag, Yer, and It.
"This place will never be the same, but in a good way!" informed Team Rocket, Nozomi and family, and Kelly.
We stood, team members side by side with team members, at all of this. We nodded and blushed a bit, then stood still as a blue-rimmed portal, big and wide, opened up behind us. We nodded again and turned, walking through.
As we turned, several certain people in the crowd gasped and ran to get closer. Kojiro and all the other real-worlders who'd fallen through and landed there scampered over.
"Everyone, together!" Ash called to the crowd, smiling. "Agents...are..."
"GO--OSU!!" shouted the throng, the camera getting a great shot of everyone we've cheered who are native to that world, as we left through the portal together with the real-worlders.
The camera faded to create one of the painted (Prismacolored penciled?) scenes, this one showing everyone and our retreating steps. "And so," the narrator returned, "our heroes bade farewell to two fantastic groups of other heroes. Many adventures had been traveled, and many people met. Tragedies were averted, and relationships were rescued from the rocks. All while exploring the many wonders contained within the deep, ever-changing world of Pokémon."
And the episode blacked out. And we could move normally again. I blinked and looked around. "Wow, for once the Pokémon world went faster than us," I muttered, looking back at the screen. We had all come out into the real world again. It felt so strange, so surreal...and it felt sort of happy, since it was one of those things where you hope so hard for it, you work so hard...but then you get there, and it's somehow not as happy as before.
"The portal will be closing in about five seconds," Diva Foxx informed us. "Keep away for safety." We noticed the voice was heard both here and on the screens.
"O SHI--" Padda-puma-padda-buma.
"KI-O-SHIIIIII!!" Patta-badda-fwoom.
"WOAH!" "YIEGHGG!" "WATCH IT!" Kssh-kssh-kssh.
"WAII-AAII-AAAIIIT!!" Bum-bum-bum.
On the screens we saw a bunch of people running from the crowd towards the slowly fading portal.
"UH-oh!" everyone went. Suddenly, something occurred to me. I turned around, digging into my coat, and called, "ASH!!" before chucking it high. "LOOK AFTER THIS FOR ME!!"
"Huh?" Ash saw a black, flat object fly through the air over the heads of the small train. "WOAH--!" He caught it just as the portal closed. He looked at it and gasped. "Woaaaah..."
"Well! It seems as if this won't be the last we'll hear of the Ouendan or the Elite Beat Agents," the narrator finished before the screen, for the first time in weeks, showed the words, TO BE CONTINUED in the bottom, like normal.
In Ash's hands was my badge.
-:-:-
An image of us, Agents on bottom and Ouendan on top, is visible. A crowd is heard cheering as a ring of the people we've cheered, some real and some not, appeared around us. (Some of them appeared to be meticulously hidden, for some reason.) The background was of the plateau.
-:-:-
Chieftan anger-veined, eyebrow twitching. "I'm happy you're all back," he grumbled. "But..."
He whipped up his head, above which was a massive pile of bodies big and small. "WOULD YOU ALL GET OFFA MY BACK?!" he roared, sounding more frightening than any demon we faced. With a bit of effort, we were able to obey his wishes. At last, when a normal person got off of him, Chieftan could stand, and he did so, brushing himself off. "Hmph. Thanks. Not."
"Chieftan?" Missy asked, raising an eyebrow and smiling. "What did those demons feed off of, hmm?"
He sighed aggravatedly. "They're GONE, now, so I can be grumpy that I was almost crushed by a mountain of flesh all I want," he reasoned, crossing his arms.
"Aw, shaddup and go play your ukelele," J waved his hand, smiling. He ducked and laughed, grabbing his pompadour down before it was chopped in two by Chieftan's swing.
"Would all you normal citizens of this world please exit those double doors over there," commanded Commander, pointing to some double doors. Kojiro and the other normal folk left.
On his way out, Kojiro smiled at Kioshi and said, in normal Japanese, "Good job."
Kioshi blushed and nodded, keeping a straight face. "Arigato," he replied. He allowed himself to smile a little after the only people around were "co-workers".
When they were all gone, Kahn sighed and sat. Standing beside him was Kai. "Kioshi, say something comfortably," he instructed.
Kioshi started at this before saying uncertainly, "Like this?" in Japanese.
Kahn nodded. "Thought as much," he mumbled.
"Kioshi, Suzu, Hibiki," addressed Doumeki.
"""Hai, Doumeki-sama!""" replied the three Ouendan like soldiers.
"Me and Commander Kahn do not think you and the Agents are able to understand one another in a common language like you could inside the Pokémon world," he told them in his native tongue. "Unless you can now speak in English as well as you can in Japanese, you might want me to translate for you these next few moments."
Kioshi shook his head. "Doumeki-sama, I could understand the dialouge between those two Agents and that Diva perfectly," he said in English.
"I could, too," Suzu attested, Hibiki nodding.
Kai nodded. "Then all the better," he said in English. "But if you are merely jumping the gun and need help, do not hesitate to ask."
"""Understood, Doumeki-sama!"""
Kahn nodded. "Good. Now that that's out of the way," he said, then turned to the crowd remaining as Kioshi was suddenly glomped to the floor by a great weight.
"UWOOF!" WHAM!
"OhmygoodnessIwassoWORRIEDaboutyoudon'teverdothatagainKioshi!!"
Everybody else in the room looked on, sweatdropping, as Dragonite, in all her glory, hugged and nuzzled Kioshi from atop him.
Kioshi gagged and squirmed. "Dragona--ite, please," he gagged, "you're...crushing...me..."
"!!" In an instant, she was off of him, and he was coughing and wheezing for a second before getting up, as well. She put a paw to her mouth, knitting her brow in worry. "Are you hurt? Did I break anything? Are you mad at me...?" she asked. Every word from her mouth, people noticed, was perfectly articulate English, as if she'd spoken it her entire life. When the young Ouendan spoke, though, they had a Japanese accent.
Kioshi shook his head, brushing himself off. "No, just tired," he answered, turning to look at her. She was about his height and DEFINITELY thinner than she ought to be. He looked concernedly at her.
Before he could voice it, though, Kahn cleared his throat, calling attention. "You all," he indicated with his finger, circling it around the new group, "are not supposed to be here. You realize just how much trouble you're now in?"
The new group consisted of Dragonite, Ursaring, Feraligatr, Zante, Vesp, Yena, Travis, Frank, and Dorian. They all looked a little guilty and many were sheepish, Travis the most.
"So?"
Everyone turned to see, hiding behind the small crowd, the skater kid from "Aisle 10". His earbuds were in, but hopefully off, and a can of black spray paint was in one of his cargo pockets. He was even wearing his roller blades. He crossed his arms and slouched, rolling his loose leg's skate forth and back. "Trouble's my middle name," he said.
"Really, now?" Kahn asked, raising an eyebrow. "Hm. Anyway, all of you are in trouble in the general sense," he went on. "You're now trapped in this world, much like how my Agents and Doumeki-san's Ouendan were trapped in yours."
Travis sucked in air through his teeth while the others (mostly) made sounds of, "...Whoops...". "You can't open a portal to our world again?" he asked.
"Not unless we can pick up the right signal," Foxx said. "See, the way we opened the portal was by locking onto the weak signal that our Agents' badges gave off. It's like a foot in the door."
"Then let's hope Ash doesn't do anything TOO stupid sometime soon," I said, smirking and crossing my arms. Everyone turned to me. "Having a burst of inspiration, I threw my badge back to him before the portal closed up again."
Kahn sighed in relief. "Good work, Agent Lock," he said. "Thank you. Now, Foxx, open the portal again. We need to get these people home." This caused the newcomers to start a bit.
"Right." She went to crouch on the ground at her laptop when a big, white, furry foot stomped in front of her, stopping her.
"Now, wait just a darn minute!" shouted Zante, putting his paws on his hips and giving his best zangoose glare at Kahn. "You're the leader of the Elite Beat Agents, am I right?"
"Yes. I am Commander Kahn," Kahn replied, raising an eyebrow.
"And you're sitting in a room with more gadgets and gizmos than a Swiss Army Knife convention with full knowledge of how they work."
"Correct, though Diva Foxx, there, knows more about them than I do."
Zante spread his arms and leaned a bit forward to Kahn. "Then I HOPE you are smart enough to know that we all KNEW there was a danger in coming through that portal, but we came through, anyway, each for a very good reason!!" he scolded. "We didn't just haul butt like a bunch of idiots to just be sent home again! Hear us out, already!!"
Kahn sat back and looked to be thinking. He muttered something to Kai from the corner of his mouth. Kai muttered back. "Alright, you've got a point, Zante," Kahn said. "Everyone, state your reasons for being here. First the pokémon, then their friends."
But then, ANOTHER interruption occured. Chieftan cleared his throat. "May I just for a quick moment?" he asked, looking up.
"Quick."
"You and Doumeki realize that your employees have been wandering on foot for days on end, cheering like crazy, and have finally come home after the biggest cheer and mission of their lives to this point, right?"
At THIS, Kahn and Kai jumped a bit, raising their eyebrows. They then looked at each other, smirking and nodding. "Agents Lock, Meyers, and Hunter," Kahn addressed. "Front and center."
"Kioshi! Suzu! Hibiki!" called Kai.
"""YESSIR!!"""
"""HAI, DOUMEKI-SAMA!!"""
We all came into the center of a space formed by the people around. When we saw Kahn draw his arm back, half turning, we knew what was next.
Cue the victory theme of both groups!
"YEAAAAH!!"
"""OUEN!!"""
"DAI!"--CHUNG!
"SEI!"--CHUNG!
"KO!"--CHUNG!
"""MISSION COMPLETE!!"""
-
(...)
-
(WHOOO!! YEAAAHH!!! *clappity-clappity*)
Vrrrrrnnnn--Chuk. Chuk. Chuk. Chuk. Chuk. Chuk. Chuk. Chuk--
VWOOYYY-PSHH!!
(...)
TEUUSHH!!
-
--
---
""Well done, Agents, Ouendan,"" congratulated both leaders, smirking as the older of them sat back in his chair.
"You have all just essentially single-handedly led two worlds, let alone one, to save themselves and each other," Kahn described.
"That was the largest-effecting cheer in Ouendan history--as well as the largest-effecting mission in Agency history," informed Kai.
""You've deserved this return home, without a doubt.""
"""Thank you, sir!"""
"""Arigato, Doumeki-sama!!"""
Kahn nodded. "Now, then, we can discuss this mission later," he said, "but we must figure out what to do with the Pokémon worlders." He nodded to Dragonite. "Dragonite, why don't you begin?"
Dragonite stood, frowning seriously as she faced the Commander defiantly. "I will admit it right now, I love Kioshi," she announced. "I know that it could never work, but I care too much for him after traveling with him for so long. At the same time, I care too much for what he is and what he does after so long near him. If I cannot see him anymore, then I at least want to carry on the work he cannot do in my world!" She placed a paw on her chest, which was out a fair bit more than normal (which is not at all). "I have come through the portal to your world with the intent of becoming an Ouendan and starting my own squad made entirely of pokémon back home!!" she finally answered louder.
"I have come with her with the same goal in mind after spending so much time with kind Suzu!" Ursaring declared, nodding.
"I came to make sure he doesn't do anything stupid!" Feraligatr answered, earning himself a swat upside the head. "Yow, that actually hurt a bit, watch it...Alright, I came because I want to be an Ouendan, too."
Kahn and Kai looked at each other, humming in thought together. "Next," Kahn said.
Zante took a step forward. "I came to watch after Travis and company, as well as finish the Human lessons of Yena and Dragonite and her friends, the latter of whom all have minds like steel traps when it comes to language, if I do say so, myself," he added, smiling proudly at his pupils, who blushed a bit but remained serious, staring up at Kahn and Kai.
"I DARE you to separate us," was all Vesp hissed, nearly Glaring at Kahn.
"Understandable," Kahn said. "Next?"
Yena stepped forwards from beside Travis. "I have come because my best friend, Travis Monkshood, came," he said. "And...as well..." He looked over at Dragonite, then gulped and nodded resolutely. "I...I...I want to try out to be an Ouendan, myself!!" he finally spat out, closing his eyes and bowing his head in embaressment.
Kai raised an eyebrow. "A quadripedal Ouendan? This will be interesting," he muttered.
Yena heard this and barked, "HEY! I can learn! If that little meowth could learn to stand on two feet, so can I!" He clenched his paws.
Kai's eye sparkled. "Hm."
"Now, Travis?" Kahn pointed.
Travis sighed, padding forth, tail still and moving only with the air. He looked resolutely at Kahn. "Commander Kahn, sir, your Agents have changed my life with one simple song by The Faders, 'No Sleep Tonight,'" he began. "I was cured of most the evil of my lycanthropy and found what happens when one helps another without doing anything but cheer in the way that Agents Lock, Meyers, and Hunter did for me. It astounded me--song and dance? Being used to help people do...ANYTHING they need to do?" He held his paws up to emphisize his emotions breifly before letting them fall again. "Then, it was because of them that I was able to be the first in my family to defeat the curse and make peace with my beast, whom I named Jet and who taught me many things about myself--including the power I have inside of me." He placed his paw on his broad chest, feeling his heart beating a mile a minute. "I want to help people," he said, looking down. "I want to help. And a gazillion other things, too, but...I can't say them all right now, since I can't really think of any you haven't heard without twisting my own words," he said a bit quietly. He looked up again and nodded resolutely. "I asked my friends and they helped me with my harebrained scheme to save my family using Hoobastank's 'Without a Fight', and it worked. I knew then and there what it was that I was meant to do! Sure, I can travel with my friends on their journey, but what will I do? Help!" He stomped a footpaw down in front of him before leaning on it and held a fist up. "Commander Kahn of the Elite Beat Agents, I hereby request that you allow me to try out to become an official Agent!!" He spoke loudly and confidently, throwing and opening his fist.
"I'm with him!" Dorian added, running forwards and standing by his friend's side.
"I'm really here for the food, but me, too!" half-joked Frank, coming to stand by his friend, too.
"We've worked long and hard to become Agents in our own right," Travis said, whipping off his slit-eyed shades and gazing up at Kahn with his expressive eyes. "We helped during that huge mission. I jumped in and pulled it off at the end of the Ouendan's last normal cheer before then. And we successfully saved Mom, Dad, and my brother from being killed--or worse--by those demons and that cloaked man!" He looked down at himself, a big, buff, hairy freak. "I know that my appearance in this form would concern any normal person we help," he said quieter, then looked up again, "but I'm going to make use of anything that this werewolf form can give me as an Agent and as a person! Please, give us the chance to join the Elite Beat Agents!!"
Kahn hmmmed in thought, taking a moment to consider this dramatic appeal. "Finally, you, Skater Boy?" he asked instead.
He scoffed and shrugged, smirking. "I'm the only one here who came with just for kicks," he answered. "Though, if it's cool with you, this Agent gig doesn't look half bad." He skated around the room a bit, putting a hand to his chin as he appraised the walls. "This place could use a bit of color, though," he commented.
"Think about it and you'll be shot on sight," Kahn warned firmly, quietly anger-veining.
The guy skidded and turned, waving his hands and raising his eyebrows. "Aight, aight, cool, I was jerkin' your chain, 's'all," he defended himself calmly.
Kahn appraised him a moment before nodding and looking at everyone. "We've got an interesting situation on our hands," he said finally. "On one hand, we have some potential recruits, both for the Agents and for the Ouendan. But on the other, we have the fact all said new recruits are from a different world and should be getting back as soon as possible before our worlds' times become so distant, you can't return to your own time...among other factors," he added. "For your own safety, I opt on sending you all home this instant."
"I disagree."
Everyone looked at Kai. "Reason being?" Kahn asked, raising an eyebrow.
Kai bowed his head, eyes closed. "We'd be mentally ill if we allowed such brightly-burning youths to get out of our reach," he answered. "I feel strong cheering force coming from Dragonite and Travis, both of whom are very determined to be Ouendan and Agent, respectively." He looked at the ones whom he spoke of before looking at Kahn. "Kahn, I propose we give them a chance, if at least to let them work as satelites."
"Satelites..." Kahn muttered, slouching low behind his steepled fingers. "...A team in the Pokémon world..." He nodded before sitting up again straight. "Dragonite, you are already prepared, but Travis, I will give you the chance to try for the Agency on ONE condition," he said.
"Being...?" Travis asked.
"You and your friends cannot be members of this Agency."
Travis yipped and took a step back in surprise. "Wh-HUH?!" he went. Then he growled, flattening his ears. "The hell does THAT mean? What're you trying to pull!?"
"Did I ever say that you cannot be Agents?" Kahn asked.
Travis stopped growling, ears coming back as he raised his eyebrows. "...No," he replied.
"Therefore, you would have to follow Dragonite's example and form your own team in your world," Kahn said. "Although it will not quite be your own team--it will be a branch of this Agency. You won't be part of the main EBA proper--you'd be the leader of your very own divison make exclusively for the Pokémon world."
Travis's jaw dropped--a very noticible event. "You...mean it?" he asked in awe. "Me? A leader of my own branch of the entire Agency? Wow..." He looked away and at his friends, then turned back. "Will this mean I have to stop traveling with my friends?" he asked.
Kahn shook his head. "You won't get your own building, only your own gear and other things that Agents carry at all times," he answered. "You will essentially do what Kioshi and Agent Lock did--travel around and help whoever happens to be nearby thanks to your own badges. You will, however, also carry any technology we develop that eases the travel between worlds." He nodded. "Travis, I am actually very keen on this idea. Your world is just as complex and free as ours, as much as the television wants us to think elsewise. I wouldn't doubt it in the least if there are people in need there, even this moment, who need someone to help them the way we do. You and anyone you recruit into your divison--which you'd run by me first, of course--will be the only Agents responsible for your world. Are you ready?" An eyebrow raise.
Travis smirked at the choice of words at the end. "I am," he nodded. "Guys?" he asked over his shoulder. "Sound good? We could continue your journies and help people at the same time."
Dorian raised an eyebrow, but nodded, nonetheless. "It sounds interesting," he admitted. "I'll do it."
"As long as we don't have to help out any muk," Frank criteriated (if that's a word). "I am NOT getting knee-deep in gunk and stink to high heaven for days afterwards."
"I can't make any promises," warned Kahn, smirking behind his hands.
Frank sighed, shaking his head. "You guys know I'd never leave you to do something stupid alone," he said, smiling. "I'm in."
Kahn nodded. "Then we will begin sometime soon," he said. "Good luck in advance." He looked at Kai. "Your territory, now."
Kai stepped forwards and uncrossed his arms, holding them at his sides similarly to a drum major. "Dragonite! Ursaring! Feraligatr!" he shouted.
"""HAI, DOUMEKI-SAMA!!""" responded the three pokémon, who quickly got into formation and resting positions similar to those of their human partners.
Kai narrowed his gaze. "And? You all believe you can become Ouendan and form your own team?" he asked in Japanese. "Do you think that you can handle the responsibility of every person who calls for your help? You will even need to get up in the middle of the night if there is nobody else to do it for you! Lead, respond!"
"HAI, DOUMEKI-SAMA!" Dragonite shouted back.
"Well? Are you ready to don the garb of one who cheers? You, who spend your lives walking naked? It will be quite difficult to get used to! Left backup, respond!"
"HAI, DOUMEKI-SAMA!" Ursaring yelled back.
"So? Are you ready to devote yourselves to learning not only the basic style of the Ouendan, but also forming your own unique way, as our former rival team from Morning Town has? Are you prepared to spend hours practicing and memorizing countless routines? Your arms will feel as if the bone is made of iron and the flesh made of lead! Right backup, respond!"
"HAI, DOUMEKI-SAMA!" Feraligatr called back.
"LIARS! YOUR WORDS MEAN NOTHING! SHOW ME!" Kai ordered, fire suffusing his face.
Dragonite didn't need to be told twice. In an instant, the Ouendan around her--and her backups--reflexively flinched as she suddenly unleashed a raging inferno from her body. The flames, visible by all of those in the room, licked the high ceiling above. She stood still, though, making no effort to visually increase the flow of spiritual fire.
"I've about had it with fire," I muttered, chuckling a bit. (And, yes, to my surprise, I knew exactly what they were saying, even though I had never been in a single episode in Japanese.)
Her backups soon followed suit, although their fire wasn't as high or strong as hers. Doumeki raised his eyebrows, impressed at Dragonite. "STOP!" he ordered. Instantly, they hid their fires. He nodded. "I believe you. You will have to do as Travis will, and make your own squad. You will have the same responsibilities, yet you will not have the luxury of being able to report to me every time you want to sneeze."
Kahn raised an eyebrow at him while me, Meyers, and Hunter did our damndest to not laugh, but he said nothing.
Kai continued, "You may consult with me or another wise Ouendan member, such as Ryuta, on the subject of potential recruits, but I trust that you will be able to feel it in your hearts. Use your gut instincts in detecting targets and other things! Expand your spiritual awareness while you train, which should already be strong with the nature pokémon have to see things humans cannot, as evidenced by the episodes! Respond!"
"""HAI, DOUMEKI-SAMA!"""
"Then you are dismissed to rest!"
"""HAI, DOUMEKI-SAMA!""" they all bowed.
Kai stepped back, looking at Kahn. "Your turn," he said in English, crossing his arms once more.
"Yena, skater boy, you will be allowed to rest, too, before you can try out, yourselves, but you will follow the rules we have set out," Kahn instructed. Yena and the punk nodded. "Then...All Agents and Divas, current and hopeful!" he barked.
"YESSIR!" came the enormous response.
"All but Lock, Meyers, Hunter! DIS-MISSED!"
"YESSIR!" All of the Agents besides me and my friends, potential Agents, and unaffiliated pokémon (read: Zante and Vesp) left through the double doors. As he passed by us, putting on his weird shades once more, Travis grinned to me. I smirked back.
When they had gone, Kahn looked at us. "You have endured the greatest mission any Agent has ever had," he said. "You have crossed the boundaries between worlds to help one target and ended up helping ten." (Remember? Erin, Paul, and Eliza counted as one each.) "All of this while traveling with characters from a world originally percieved as a fabrication of a Japanese man's mind that proved to be, in fact, a separate world where reality may operate on its own, unscripted and unplanned. You have endured many hardships and withstood a possession from a powerful demon." He looked especially at me at this. "Quite frankly, if you hadn't succeeded in everything you did and worked so hard, I would punish every one of you for weeks. You have NO idea what hell your parents have been giving me non-stop."
"Sir! That's why ya don't give our folks yo' numbah!" Hunter said.
Everyone not being talked to looked at Hunter and at Kahn. He only smirked. "I suppose that you're right, there," he said. He nodded and raised his head a bit. "Now! You are all VERY tired, I am sure! You have more than made up for the lack of missions you had earlier this summer with the missions you have done!"
At this, me and Meyers gasped. "Sir! What day is it?" I asked.
"August 14," came back the simple answer.
I was very surprised that every hair on the heads of Meyers and I didn't stand on end.
"Yes, you are being excused from Band Camp, given the circumstances, but delaying any longer would be unwise," he said. "And with that, I believe it is time that I congratulate you on being the first officially recorded dimentionauts and a job very well-done!"
"""Thank you, sir!"""
"Now! Get out and go home! A ride is waiting for you! Report back this weekend! DIS-MISSED!!"
"""YESSIR!!""" We turned and left out the double doors.
Meanwhile, behind us, Kioshi stood among the other Ouendan. "Kahn-san," he addressed.
"Hai?"
He looked a bit worried. "What about us and the other hopefuls?" he asked. "Are we going to get back home now? Or will we be waiting until we send back Dragonite and the others?"
"The latter," Kahn answered. "For now, you are welcome to stay here and use our facilities. In particular, we hope you enjoy the indoor park area," he added, raising his voice just a bit while looking directly at the pokémon.
They blushed and sweatdropped, but retained composure.
"With that, I cannot command you--only an Ouendan may do so. Doumeki?"
Doumeki nodded and shouted for the leader of the Bluendan to come up. "Do you give me your blessing?" he asked. The white-haired, cape-wearing leader nodded. Doumeki looked at Suzu and Hibiki. "Suzu! Hibiki!" he shouted.
""HAI, DOUMEKI-SAMA!!""
"You are officially allowed to join the Evening Town Ouendan!" he announced. "You are given special permission to continue using whatever style you prefer, however, though you must wear our uniforms...though you have a choice whenever your leader is Kioshi!"
Suzu and Hibiki looked at each other, then nodded and replied, ""ARIGATO, DOUMEKI-SAMA!!""
"You canNOT let me or your teammates down, though you have performed admirably on the show!" Doumeki said firmly. "Is it understood you will give nothing but your best?"
""HAI, DOUMEKI-SAMA!!""
"Then welcome to the squad!" He bowed breifly, and was returned the gesture. "NOW! Evening Town Squad and future squad!"
"HAI!"
"Morning Town Squad!" the Bluendan leader shouted.
"HAI!"
""IKUZE!!""
"HAI!!"
All of the Ouendan left the room. Kioshi hung back and walked beside Dragonite. "Thank you for coming," he said quietly.
"You think you can get rid of me that easily?" Dragonite asked softly.
"Not really," Kioshi muttered before the doors closed and Kahn was alone in the room.
He sat still for a moment before turning around to the screens. "...They are all devoted to it." Kahn paused a moment. "...They will be good Agents and Ouendan." Another pause. "Good." He stood and turned around as he came down from his desk. He went to the double doors, putting a hand on the light switch. He looked out around the room. "I can tell that we're going to need them and everyone else sooner than they think."
Click.
-
I sighed, flopping my head against the headrest of the passenger-side seat as we drove off. "It's over," I whispered. "It's finally over."
"So, sick of that suit yet?" asked J, who was driving us.
I chuckled. "It's fireproof, waterproof, and pikaproof," I said. "I love this thing."
"Not to mention evil demon-proof," J added. "Oh, wait, that's the guy IN the suit."
"...That was corny," I said.
"Sorry, it's just been a long day for me," J apologized, chuckling.
I laughed. "A long day for YOU?!" I asked, smiling at him incredulously. "We've been up for God knows how long! I've been possessed for the last week! You have no IDEA what the definition of 'long day' is!"
He sighed, shaking his head smilingly. "No," he said, "I guess I don't."
We splashed through a puddle on the side of the road while a cool downpour drenched the city.
- - -
Note: Why they could speak in the pokémon world easily. They were in the dub and the demons' power was enabling them to be heard all around the world, even if through subtitles. Besides, the pokémon world speaks a different language than Japanese or English, so, like visitors to all worlds, translation immediatly occurs.
In a side note, let's all do the monkey and celebrate the end of this hell!! WHOOO!!
...
...Oh, wait, one more chapter. Damn.
